In a frozen confection factory, filling heads are employed to fill containers such as a mould, cone or tub. The time available for such filling is often very short, for example less than 2 seconds, and normally less than 1.5 seconds. Therefore, if anything other than a single homogenous product is desired to be delivered then a sophisticated filling head operation is required, given such tight time constraints.
EP 2345332 A1 discloses a filling head for producing a flow of first frozen confection encapsulating a second confection material.
The filling head comprises a housing and a reciprocating piston therein. To the housing is fed a first confection material to a first chamber and a second confection material to a second chamber.
The piston contains an internal material flow channel from its outer wall to its lower end.
The filling head is operated by lowering it into position in the vicinity of the bottom of a container. The piston is initially in its lowermost position blocking all flow of confection material. The piston is then moved up to a mid position, allowing the first frozen confection material to flow out of the filling head but blocking the second confection material. The piston is then moved to an upper position, where both first and second confection materials flow out of the nozzle.
Once the container is filled to the desired level the piston then moves rapidly downwards to its lowermost position so that the piston interrupts firstly the second confection material (as it reaches its mid position) and then the first confection material (as it reaches its lowermost position).
Such a filling head and its modes of operation can therefore coextrude the second confection material encapsulated within the first confection material.
However, if it is desired to have solid-like inclusions in the confection material, such inclusions can prevent the ability of the valve to fully close because in its lowermost position the piston pushes against the nozzle exit and can trap one or more inclusion pieces which may not be fully crushable and thus prevent the valve from closing.
Thus, improvements in the design and operation of a filling head for the delivery of an encapsulated second confection material within a first confection material, wherein solid-like inclusions are present would be highly desirable.